He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (Exodus 3:6)

Abraham had many sons by at least three different women: Ishmael by the servant girl Hagar, Isaac by Sarah, his wife, and six sons by Keturah, his second wife (Genesis 25:1-2). Little is known about Ishmael, though he did go on to have a large family and many descendants. We hear less of the other six sons. But it was the God of Isaac that Moses was to follow, not the God of Ishmael or of the other half-brothers. Clearly, the Lord was etching out a line of orthodoxy. Isaac was the favored son and treated as the firstborn (Genesis 25:5-6), for he was the child of promise, and God’s plan for His people was for those whose descent came from Abraham through Isaac:

“Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.” (Gen 26:3–5)

Yet despite the same promise from God and despite his own father’s actions of doubt in God’s protection, Isaac fell to the same temptation. He, too, doubted God’s protection, passing off his wife as a sister to safeguard himself from being killed by the jealous men where he lived. Yet God was faithful to His promise:

Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy… (Gen 26:12–13)

Later, when Isaac was fearful again, God reassured him:

“I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, for the sake of My servant Abraham.” (Gen 26:24)

With the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, we have no need to fear anything. For He is our God as well.

Lord, thank You for the security I have in You. I have no need to doubt or fear.